No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.  John 1:18. NLT

The expression John paints of Jesus being near to the Father’s heart is not new to us.  Today, we use the same expression to describe a feeling for our children.  ‘Near and dear to our heart’ implies that the relationship is not like most others.  Encounters with them ~ we carry with us.  Words they speak to us ~ we hold dear.  Pain they express ~ we embrace and lift to the Father constantly in prayer.   

To be near to the Father’s heart literally means that Jesus was ‘in the bosom of the Father.’  A bosom is defined as three things.  We’ve already covered two.

1.) The bosom is part of the upper body between both arms.  If you face scary unknowns, God has you near to His heart.  

2.) The bosom is also the upper part of a loose garment where things are tucked away, carried with the traveler.  God has tucked you into His bosom for safe keeping.  

3.) Finally, the bosom is also a bay in a body of water.

God has promised to be a bay in the storm.  In the distance, I can see a u-shaped indentation in my voyage.  I recognize the calm waters that only a bay offers.  The mountainous waves roll past its opening while swimmers float near shore on glassy seas. God is offering me this harbor, anytime, and calls me to pull out of turbulent waters.  

How do I find this bay?  It’s wherever He is.  They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired. Psalm 107:30

Draw me into the harbor of You.  Amen